Bears have 7 players in mind for their top draft pick

Good chance multiple defensive ends in consideration

April 23, 2012|By Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune reporter

If he's feeling pressure to get it right from the start, Phil Emery didn't show any three days before the start of the NFL draft.

The Bears general manager, who was hired in January because of his eye for talent, was upbeat Monday morning at Halas Hall when he talked about the next opportunity to improve the franchise after a busy free agency period in which 15 players have been added or re-signed.

"I'm having a blast," Emery said. "I am having the time of my life."

Emery revealed the Bears are currently working from a list of seven players as they consider possibilities for the 19th overall pick in the first round Thursday. It's a fair bet multiple defensive ends are in consideration, a position the club has been linked to often in the predraft process.

Emery said the Bears have received calls from teams above and below them in the first round about making a deal, but those conversations are typical and being held across the league.

At no point did Emery specifically reference any prospects, but he called wide receiver, defensive end and defensive tackle strong positions in the draft, also adding that there are a good number of offensive tackles who project as interior linemen in the NFL.

He's approaching the draft with the mindset the Bears must win now, which could lead people to believe the club is definitely targeting a defensive end to work into the mix with Julius Peppers and Israel Idonije. The Bears have more of a need right now on the defensive line than anywhere else.

"It's important to any team in terms of being able to apply pressure on the quarterback," Emery said. "We're always trying to add players that complement the mix that we have."

The team has focused primarily on offense since Emery arrived, with the key additions being wide receiver Brandon Marshall and running back Michael Bush, and the third defensive end position has been largely unsettled since Mark Anderson set the franchise's rookie sack record with 12 in 2006.

Guard Chilo Rachal, a second-round pick of the 49ers in 2008, was officially signed Monday as was linebacker Geno Hayes, who Emery said will compete with Nick Roach at strong-side linebacker. They represent two of the moves that have provided Emery with options for the early rounds in the draft.

"What we've done in free agency really allows us the chance to go one way or the other," he said. "It's given us flexibility in terms of we can draft into a perceived strength so that we make sure we get the player who's going to help us win a championship the quickest way possible, or we can go and fill in what we perceive as a need.

"We're very orientated toward finding the player that's going to get us there the fastest. And if that means that player patched a hole, great. If that means that player is at a position of strength but is a little bit better at some aspect of his game than the ones that we have even though we have a strong position, then we'll go that way."

The Bears have some holes on the defensive line. Idonije was re-signed to a one-year contract, but the club missed on Jeremy Mincey in free agency. Then, there are the 773 snaps at defensive tackle that must be replaced as Amobi Okoye and Anthony Adams have departed. So, you can't rule tackle out as an option, either.

End game: Add Boise State's Shea McClellin to the list of defensive ends the Bears have done thorough work on, including a private workout on the campus in Idaho. McClellin has been a fast riser since the Senior Bowl and is viewed as a possible first-round pick. Some teams like him as linebacker in a 3-4 scheme, but he was the second-fastest defensive end at the NFL scouting combine. McClellin has been invited by the NFL to the draft in New York.

Extra points: Most teams issue yellow or red flags for draft prospects with medical concerns. Emery tilts them on the Bears' board, and a player that is ruled out is flipped upside down. … By trading for Marshall and signing Eric Weems and Devin Thomas, Emery says the need to draft a receiver early to make up for injured Johnny Knox has been mitigated. … In a 37-minute news conference, Emery used the word "championship" 12 times. … Emery didn't rule out the Bears ever appearing on HBO's "Hard Knocks," but don't rush to sign up for the cable pay channel in hopes of seeing behind the scenes from Olivet Nazarene University. "To me, it's all about football," Emery said. "Personally, no. But if that was in the best interest of the club, I am sure we would all consider it. If that helped bring the Chicago Bears, particularly to our fans in Chicago, we would consider it."